NL West

Now Commenting On:

Reliever Martin reaches big leagues for first time

Email

Print

The Rockies originally selected Chris Martin in the 2005 Draft

By Thomas Harding
/
MLB.com |

LOS ANGELES -- Right-hander Chris Martin's long, odd road to the Majors has resulted his first promotion to The Show. The Rockies purchased his contract on Friday and optioned righty Chad Bettis to Triple-A Colorado Springs.

Martin was 0-1 with an 8.22 ERA and three saves. But five of the seven runs he yielded (in 7 2/3 innings) scored during one of those wild games at Security Service Field, which can make Coors Field seem pitcher-friendly. Round Rock hit him for five runs and six hits in one inning on April 12 in a 16-12 Colorado Springs loss.

The Rockies selected Martin in the 2005 MLB First-Year Player Draft, but he sustained a shoulder injury in junior college, didn't sign and essentially retired from baseball. But before the 2010 season, he played catch with his manager at a warehouse where he was working, felt good, and ended up signing to play independent ball for Grand Prairie, Texas.

The Red Sox signed him after a tryout in 2011, and he advanced to Triple-A last season. The Rockies acquired him and left-hander Franklin Morales for infielder Jonathan Herrera on Dec. 18, 2013.

Martin went 1-0 with a 3.48 ERA in 10 1/3 innings over nine Spring Training games, and displayed power stuff from a tall frame. He is listed at 6-7.

"We talked about Chris a lot this spring," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "We really like him. It's a power arm. He had a tough outing in Colorado Springs, which anybody can have when the wind is blowing out. That skewed his numbers.

"We liked this guy all spring and we knew he'd be in the mix at some point this year."

To make room for Martin on the 40-man Major League roster, the Rockies placed lefty Brett Anderson on the 60-day disabled list with a broken left index finger. The placement was retroactive to April 13.